Angrybk Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I’ve gone on a quasi-binge reading about the air component of the Malta siege. I’m sort of parallel-reading Malta Spitfire (by Canadian ace George Beurling, published in 1943) and Malta Spitfire Pilot by Denis Barnam (published in 2010, author lasted about three months at Malta before losing his shit and is refreshing unapologetic about it). Recommend both books highly. Major takeaways = RAF pilots were incredibly diverse re nationalities, pilots died in droves in terrible training accidents (uh, pre-Malta) and the German pilots they faced were seriously f@cking good (haven’t gotten to the Italian combats yet). Anyway, a good rabbit hole to go down and I highly recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmgill Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Have you gotten tot he bit about Hope, Faith and Charity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Galbraith Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Those were Sea Gladiators. There is also First Light by Geoffrey Wellum. Its only about a chapter or two on Malta, the bulk of it is his training to fly and his participation in the Battle of Britain. But he did take part in the second fly in from the Carrier, and participated in the air battle with events getting increasingly blurred as you can tell he is starting to lose the plot. And then he gets grounded due to having a fairly horrible sinus infection due to spending too much time breating oxygen. A really first rate book. Not read either of the two you mention, but ive heard extracts of the Barnam book read on the 'We have ways' podcast, and it seems excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sardaukar Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Beurling was quite a character. As I have lived quite a few years in Malta, I have love/hate relationship with the place. Closterman's book "Flames in the sky" gives good account of Beurling. I can quite trust his view, being a top ace talking admirably about fellow pilot (AFAIK they never met). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RETAC21 Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 This is very good to have a fair understanding of Malta, the Italians and the Germans: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucklucky Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 A taste of Malta now for attack squadrons: https://rommelsriposte.com/2012/12/14/a-costly-raid-no-107-squadron-11-october-1941/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._107_Squadron_RAF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrybk Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 15 hours ago, Sardaukar said: Beurling was quite a character. As I have lived quite a few years in Malta, I have love/hate relationship with the place. Closterman's book "Flames in the sky" gives good account of Beurling. I can quite trust his view, being a top ace talking admirably about fellow pilot (AFAIK they never met). The dude "rode the rails" from Quebec to SF to try to get to China to join the war, was thrown in jail for not having his papers, went home, crewed on a munitions ship to get to the UK to join the war, was turned away for not having his papers, sailed _back_ to Quebec to get his papers and then back to the UK... not sure if hero or dumbass or both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmgill Posted March 4, 2021 Share Posted March 4, 2021 Why did the RailRodder just come to mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrybk Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 (edited) Weird thing, Barnham and Buerling (as far as I can tell) don’t mention each other in their books, which is very strange given that there were probably like 20-some spit pilots on Malta during that time. Edited March 17, 2021 by Angrybk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sardaukar Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 They probably didn't like each other... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R011 Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Barnham was an officer and Beurling an NCO. They likely didn't mix at all, especially as they were in different squadrons. It also seems their times didn't overlap by much. Barnham was in Malta from 20 April to sometime in June 1942 while Beurling was there from 9 June to 31 October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrybk Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share Posted March 22, 2021 Yeah that’s correct, thanks. The Barnham book is pretty fascinating - very well written but he’s totally emo, not sure how he made it through all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrybk Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 Then pivoted to the SS Ohio... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Galbraith Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 Supposedly she was so damaged, she sank and split in two beside the quay. But they were still able to get the fuel off. She lies scuttled off Malta, im surprised nobody has gone looking for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Stuart Galbraith said: Supposedly she was so damaged, she sank and split in two beside the quay. But they were still able to get the fuel off. She lies scuttled off Malta, im surprised nobody has gone looking for her. From reports on her damage, a well built ship that made it to port due to Royal Navy damage control and especially Royal Navy seamanship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R011 Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 9 hours ago, Rick said: From reports on her damage, a well built ship that made it to port due to Royal Navy damage control and especially Royal Navy seamanship. Let us not forget British Merchant Marine guts and seamanship. They crewed that ship save for a few DEMS gunners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrybk Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 Was reading At All Costs (https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/at-all-costs-the-malta-miracle-8212-and-its-two-heroes/) — the focus on the two Americans is just marketing bullshit, the book is pretty evenhanded and a good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucklucky Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 17 hours ago, Rick said: From reports on her damage, a well built ship that made it to port due to Royal Navy damage control and especially Royal Navy seamanship. Ohio was made almost unsinkable before going to Pedestal, i have somewhere a description of all modifications that were done to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R011 Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 56 minutes ago, lucklucky said: Ohio was made almost unsinkable before going to Pedestal, i have somewhere a description of all modifications that were done to her. I wouldn't go so far as to say "unsinkable", but they did modify her to make her more shock resistant as near misses had caused her sister ship [i]SS Kentucky[/i] to be scuttled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R011 Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Some heroic tales from the merchant sailors of that war. Another was the [i]MV San Demetrio[/i]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_San_Demetrio Sot up and left in flames by the pocket battleship [i]Admiral Scheer[/i], she made it to Britian with most of her load unescorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Galbraith Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Dont think I ever saw the movie of that one, ive heard its well thought of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 13 hours ago, R011 said: Let us not forget British Merchant Marine guts and seamanship. They crewed that ship save for a few DEMS gunners. Quite right, my mistake on neglecting the obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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